Harry Potter and the 7th Horcrux
by Charlieforevenge
Summary: You have on your screen the much desired seventh novel in the sevenpart tale of Harry Potter's training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the secure, predictable Hogwarts and embark on a mission to seek and destroy Horcruxes.
1. Chapter 1

Harry locked the door of Number 12 Grimmauld Place behind him. Alone, with only Kreature and Buckbeak to keep him company, the 18 year old Potter found himself missing Privet Drive for the first time in his life. He knew though that it was silly to think of the old place, especially when his Aunt and Uncle had been all too cheery at letting him pack his bags on his birthday. Harry walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a turkey sandwich that was starting to mildew. He stuffed it down, trying not to think too much about the inevitably difficult year that lied ahead of him, one without Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione, or Dumbledore. Yes, they had begged him to let them join in on his future escapade, but he flat out refused. It was going to be too dangerous.

After feeding Buckbeak, and forcing himself to stay up for Hedwig to return, Harry found himself sinking deeper and deeper into an old armchair trying not to fall asleep. Instead of succumbing to a restless slumber, he picked up A Guide to Legimancy by Cille Slensinger. He was reading up on this to know more about Voldemort's favorite practice, and he had been attempting to perform this difficult magic on Kreacher, but the only thing he had managed to see so far was an ugly, scowling image of Kreacher's face, that Harry had the faintest idea had something to do with the elfs feelings toward him. He began to read,  
_After setting aside your own cogitations, remember to slightly cross your eyes three times before penetrating into the depths of your opponent retina..._  
"WHAM" Hedwig landed on Harry's arm forcefully, knocking his glasses slightly askew.  
"Finally, I've been looking for you, girl." He untied the letter wrapped around her leg, and carefully unfolded it.

_Dear Mr. Potter,  
I have received your request for a meeting on the 30th of August and accept your invitation for lunch at 12:00 in the Leaky Cauldron. I must mention however, that I have my doubts as to whether your plans for missing the Hogwarts Express on September the 1st is a wise decision. I do hope that you can enlighten me on your motives for doing so when we meet.  
Also, I have enclosed some information on the Auror's self guide to effective defense, and you will find my old notes quite helpful if you still want these texts. Until then, best of luck.  
Rufus Scrimgeour  
Minister of Magic_

Harry looked for a book or rolls of parchment in supplement to the letter, but couldn't find anything. "Visualify!" Nothing appeared out of thin air in reaction to his spell. He wondered if the texts had been taken by an intercepter of the letter, and if so, that person would know Hedwig belonged to him and had been sending messages to him all summer long. Perplexed, he ruffled his black hair and began walking to bed. It was late. The important thing was that Scrimgeour would meet with him. Harry crawled into the covers, switched the lamp off, and fell asleep thinking about a red haired girl and a red-eyed murderer. His scar was painless.

Deep underground the Hogwarts castle, a golden and red bird perched on top of a slightly dilapidated statue of a giant snake. The chamber of secrets hadn't been empty for several months. Beyond the statue, sat Albus Dumbledore, pen furiously at work, beard trailing the top of his parchment as he wrote. He was explaining the facade of his death to Minerva Mcgonagall, who would be the only person aside from Hagrid and Snape who would know the story of how he had lived as she would be running the school. He knew his hiding place was accessable only to two people other than himself, and he doubted whether Harry Potter or Voldemort would seek the place of their battle during Harry's second year. Dumbledore sealed his letter, and signalled for Fawkes to pick it up. She had accomplished a lot of healing in the past few months. Dumbledore doubted the students had picked up on her song during his "death".

Minerva McGonagall was furious. Another teacher resignation form had been sent in. First Professor Sinistra, now Madam Hooch? She was having a hard enough time finding a defense against the darks arts teacher. Looking up from her desk she glanced at the portraits on the wall. Looking at a sleeping Dumbledore, she tried to ignore the jolt in her stomach and the tear that came to her eyelid. But at a second look, he wasn't sleeping at all. The portrait winked at her.  
"Yes, Dumbledore, you would like to say..."  
"Leave my office and walk over to Hagrid's hut. You will find something waiting for you there. He is not expecting you. Find an excuse to visit him."  
The other portraits were perking up. This was the second time Dumbledore had spoken since his death. The first was a simple welcome to the headmaster's office. Minerva's earlier frustrations left her as fast as Lockhart's mental facilities left him and they were replaced by newfound feelings of excitement. Finally, something interesting was coming into her job.

She stepped quickly down the spiral staircase and stopped briefly to change the password to "feline". The word made her think of transforming herself, but on second thought, she realized Fang might not take a liking to cats. Arriving at Hagrid's, she rapped on the door three times. Sure enough a booming bark answered and moments later, Hagrid's giant silhouette appeared in the doorframe. He was wearing patched up a pajamas.  
"Professor McGonagall, what in the world are you doing up at this 'our?"  
"Enough I would say. Things are plenty busy for the summer around here. I'm here because another teacher just resigned and I am asking you to fill the position. This is urgent becuase I've been warned that Dolores Umbridge may attempt to secure Ministry approved teachers this year if I am unable to find them. I know your heart is with magical creatures, but Grubbly Plank is willing to teach that if you will fill in the position I speak of. I daresay, you will be able to control the students in this topic, even if it may involve additional learning on your behalf."  
"If you don't mind me asking Professor, what would I be teachin'?  
"May I come in?"  
"Sure, Sure, my apologies, I's just so caught up in what you were a sayin..."  
There it was. A single golden and red feather on the top of Hagrid's tea table. She hadn't seen Fawke's sign in months.  
"Professor?"  
"Oh, of course. You will be teaching quidditch."

"Would you mind if I had some tea?"  
McGonagall wanted to reach the scroll and pocket it before Hagrid noticed it. Just as she was picking it up, he turned his shaggy head.  
"Oh that, must be from Dumbledore, been wonderin when he'd say somethin'."  
She gave him a quizzical look.  
"Oh dear, shouldn't ave said tha'."  
But it was too late. She was unrolling the letter and found it addressed to her in the ex-headmasters slanted writing.  
_Dear Minerva,  
I am writing to you now because it is critical for you to keep the teachers from resigning. They are doing this for the wrong reason. First and foremost, I am alive. If you have questions, ask Hagrid, as he can inform you how he carried a scarecrow to the funeral, and other details on my so thought departure.  
Secondly, do not speak with Harry Potter about this letter, for he will make himself stronger if he thinks himself an independent young man.  
Thirdly, back to the teachers. Your reason for them to stay will be a new curriculum, based extensively on defense against the dark arts. You are to find ways of encorporating this magical practice into the other subjects and in a way that will appeal to the teachers. They are quitting to join the war against Voldemort, and because they do not trust you the way they should. Gain their trust by following my instructions. It is more important to train the future than to struggle with the present.  
Lastly, enjoy your new freedoms. Do not let Umbridge ferret her way into Hogwarts again. I will have my ways of stopping her. Enjoy talking with Hagrid. Yours truely,  
Albus_

"In Merlin's name! How did this happen? Surely the likes of Harry's eyewitness account is not at fault?"  
Hagrid smiled widely as he brought the tea over to her.  
"So he's told yeh eh?"  
"Quite apparently so."  
"Righ'. No, no, it wasn't Harry's miscommunication, it was Snape's. Yeh see, when he pulled the ol' Avada, he was doin' soma that nonverbal stuff, the countercurse yeh know, same jet o' green light and everything. Dumbledore worked his own bit o' magic at the same time, yeh see? Fooled em all. Dumbledore came right out to me hut right after it all. Don't know where he's at now, just know I've been gettin messages and the like."  
She nodded curtly.  
"Yes, he must have used Vanisia, the ancient and highly difficult dissapearing charm.." Almost muttering to herself, McGonagall continued to connect the dots in her mind until she arrived at another question.  
"Why did flames engulf the scarecrow?"  
Hagrid grunted and took a sip of tea. "Well, that's top secret that is." He looked really uncomfortable, but he had given McGonagall an idea.  
"Where is Snape?"  
"Aww now I don't know that, listen, I think it's time for yeh to head back to the castle. I'm getting really tired, it's way past midnight and yeh should get some rest too. And I don't know if me legs will take a likin' to Quidditch. I'll let yeh know about that later. 'Night."  
And with that he opened the door, and ushered her out of the room.

Harry spent the next week reading the Daily Prophet, practicing Legimancy, and writing out his ideas for Scrimgeour. The date of their meeting was rapidly approaching, and Harry needed to buy some new robes so he wouldn't reveal several inches of his ankles to the Minister of Magic. He planned to take the Knight bus in order to arrive at Diagon alley a day early. Before leaving, he spent some time tidying Number 12 and instructing Kreacher on how to take care of Buckbeak.  
"Feed him 6 of these rats daily. If you see a rat that's missing a finger, give it to the hippogriff immediately. That's an order."  
When all seemed together, Harry slipped out the front door, robes filled with gold, and raised his wand hand high in the air. He waited for forty-five minutes when finally the purple triple decker bus screeched to a halt in front of him. Stepping aboard, Harry selected a bunk on the second floor as the first was filled up with disgruntled looking witches and wizards. He layed down, and felt the bed slide across the floor. He had few hopes that this trip would be less jolting than his first.

Harry arrived at the Leaky Cauldron late in the night. He thanked the driver, and dragged his stiff body down the stairs. When he got to the front desk, Tom told him that no more spaces were available for the night. Harry was forced to find an alternative. He tapped the bricks with his wand and entered Diagon Alley. It was practically deserted. Finally, he reached a neon sign that read Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and he rang the doorbell. Minutes later, Fred popped his head out the door and yelped with glee.  
"Harry, didn't know you were a partier! Glad to see you out and about at these wee hours. Come inside, have you had a little too much firewhisky, or was it mulled mead. You definately seem woosey."  
"No, actually I just got off the Knight bus. I'm needing a place to stay because the Leaky Cauldron is all full."  
Fred frowned. "Sorry bro. Got nothing for you. The inventing room is filled with Dixie eggs being incobated. You would burn up in there. George and I don't have room to spare. Out the door!"  
He pushed Harry out and slammed the door.  
Harry felt utterly dejected. He had been so sure this would be the place to spend the night. The streets seemed awfully lonely and dangerous at this hour. Just then the door popped open. It was George.  
"He was only kidding you know. Come on in and have a hot chocolate. It will make you have brown hair while you drink it. We borrowed some hair from Tonks to get the formula right."

"We actually have a guest room upstairs. Bill and Fleur used it last so it's probably a little messy."  
Harry didn't care.  
"Thanks, that's alright."  
He walked up the stairs to his room and noticed photographs of beautiful women hanging on the walls on the way up. When he got to his room, Hedwig was already there, perched on top of a lime green dresser. Harry plopped on the bed and immediated drifted off. He could faintly hear the sound of something exploding in the inventing room that didn't sound like Dixie eggs hatching at all. Curious, Harry couldn't help but get up and attempt to take a look. Unfortunately though, George caught him so he pretended to be going to the restroom to brush his teeth.

The next morning Harry woke to the loud rapping music of the Slim Wizards band, booming out from Fred's room. He scrambled up, put his glasses on, and headed out to get some breakfast. George was already setting up shop downstairs.  
"Morning Harry old chap! Ready for a spot of our cooking? Straight from our new book, The Flavors that Make You Famous. We've fixed the little gas side effect, you'll get more and more famous as you eat it."  
Harry, hardly desiring fame or farts, decided to dine out.  
"No thanks, I really better run. C-ya later today."  
He walked out the shop and a cacophonous buzzer rang as the door opened. Fred and George were funny, but you had to be careful around them.  
Harry ate at a little shop called Bewitched Breakfast then headed out to Madam Malkin's to be fitted. He chose navy blue for the first time since he knew he wouldn't be attending Hogwarts. It seemed more mature somehow. Just as he was leaving the shop, he noticed something curious happening on the street outside.

A large hoard of people was gathering around someone dressed in Muggle attire holding a gun. He was a middle aged mad who looked furious about something.  
"I'll tell them all about this! My uncle's one of you freaks and now you've gone and killed my daughter. This is how I feel about that."  
He held the gun in midair as if to fire it, but was restrained by a subdueing spell. A Ministry witch stepped in and performed a memory modification.  
"See here now, let's walk this way."  
She parted the crowd and guided the man out of Diagon Alley. Harry watched as reporters clicked their cameras, and the curious magical community whispered about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He wandered how the man had entered Diagon Alley. It was like seeing Dudley at Hogwarts- utterly out of place.   
Harry checked his watch. It was nearing time to meet with Scrimgeour.

Harry entered the Leaky Cauldron and saw the usual assorted crowd of sketchy folks. Rufus Scrimgeour was sitting at the bar looking at his watch. Harry tapped him on the shoulder.  
"You must be Mr. Potter. It's nice to meet you in person. I've booked a private room for us for the sake of privacy from listening ears. Shall we?"  
They followed a very pretty witch into a secluded room, where two tables with soup and sandwiches were awaiting them.  
"Thank you Minister, I err, am really pleased to be able to do this. Thanks a lot for your time."  
"Well of course. Things have been tremendously busy at the Ministry, what with all the attacks. I do need to get back, but I can give you thirty minutes."  
Harry suddenly felt nervous about what he was going to say. He decided to warm up with something he knew the Minister could relate to.  
"Speaking of attacks, I was in Diagon Alley this morning when a Muggle came in harping about err, an attack from Voldemort."  
Rufus cringed at the name.  
"A muggle was in Diagon Alley? Oh dear, I hadn't heard yet."  
"Well it just happened a few moments ago, but I'm not very surprised. One of the things I wanted to mention was Muggle rights. My friend Hermione Granger is obsessed with House Elf rights, but what about Muggles? Voldemort pays them absolutely no respect and I think it's time we treat them the opposite. Are we in any formal state of contact with their leaders?"  
The minister looked impressed other than another slight cringe.  
"Now Harry, this is not something I want you spreading around, but yes, I have met with the Muggle Minister. This is an ancient tradition. There is little else we can do."  
Harry disagreed but said nothing. He needed to move quickly.  
"Thanks, err I also wanted to ask you about being an auror. Is there a society for aurors where they can ban together and build off of each other's strengths? If so, is there any way I could attend a meeting? As you know, I won't be attending Hogwarts this year."  
The minister looked a little ruffled.  
"No, I'm afraid there isn't anything public. Organizations of this nature must be kept secret do the nature of their practice. May I ask why you will not be attending Hogwarts?"  
"Becuase I'm going to destroy the 7th Horcrux."


	2. Chapter 2

Scrimgeour frowned.  
"I have read about Horcruxes, but you're leaving me in the dark. What is this 7th object?"  
Harry bit his lip.  
"It is Voldemort. He split himself up into 7 mortal pieces in an attempt to make himself less prone to death. The final Horcrux is his body. The reason I am telling you all this is because I need your help, Ministry support of what I'm doing."  
"This scheme sounds ridiculously dangerous for someone your age. The only help I can offer you is education, and you will find that best at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That is all I'm going to say. It is hard for me to believe the things you are saying. They seem unpractical and lofty. I do hope you return to school. But now, if you'll excuse me, I must get going."  
The minister put on his hat and exited the room.  
"Err, thanks again."  
Harry felt guilty for telling the Minister so much. Would Dumbledore have wanted him to have this conversation? He had been so sure Scrimgeour could find a way to train him, but no. Feeling more and more depressed, Harry failed to notice a slender figure slip into the shadows of the room. He sat finishing his sandwich when he felt a small hand on this shoulder.

He looked up and saw the young waitress standing quite close to him.  
"I was just checking to see if you _needed_ something in addition to your meal?"  
Harry felt his cheeks growing warm. He hadn't been this close to someone since he last saw Ginny Weasley. Trying to think of something reasonable to say, he pondered if he should ask for water or more sandwiches.  
"Well,I, err, guess I could go for another sandwich."  
"Are you sure that's all you could go for?"  
By now she was being obvious to the point of disgust. Harry knew he had grown into someone other than the scraggly teenager he once was, but to have a girl crooning over him like this was quite unexpected. Harry decided it was time to leave. He stood up, but to his dismay, the waitress only smiled.  
"So you don't want a sandwich?"  
"Err, no. I need to get going."  
She wrapped her arms around his broadened shoulders.  
"Yes, I'll agree with that."  
To Harry's dismay, she began ruffling his untidy hair. She had completely mistaken his words and she was intruding heavily on his personal space.  
"No, I meant I need to leave."  
She frowned.  
"Very well then."  
Picking up his tray, she stormed out of the room angrily, leaving Harry relieved, but a little excited nonetheless. Maybe he should have kissed her.

September 1st came and went with no train ride to Hogwarts for Harry, or welcoming greetings from Ron and Hermione. In fact, he was completely alone at Number 12 after his not so successful meeting with Scrimgeour, and hadn't been in contact with the wizarding world since then. His solitude came to an abrupt halt however, when a brown tawny owl smacked into the back window one day. The letter read,  
"Dear Harry,  
We miss you so much here at Hogwarts. Our toad friend returns to the school once a week to inspect the school's "safety" which really means stuffing her face with Hogwarts food and harrassing students and professors. The Ministry's put enchanted cameras up all over the castle that detect wrongdoing and keep Filch busier than ever. McGonagall is doing a decent job, but we all miss Dumbledore. **Return to your real home on Friday without being noticed. You will be shown something important there if you go to Moony's old place at midnight. Be there, or something vital will dissappear**. I hope you've been making progress on your own time and that your summer went well. Send Kreacher my regards. Love,  
Hermione."  
Harry read and reread the letter. It seemed as if it had been written under the pretense that it would be spied on. Friday was tomorrow, and Harry was going home.

Harry walked through Platform 9 3/4 clutching his Firebolt which had his trunk attached and under the invisibility cloak. No train or busy hoards of people were on the other side. But all he needed was the tracks. He mounted his broom and began flying towards what seemed like infinity, with tracks below him and nothing to do but let his thoughts wonder over the mysterious directions Hermione had given. This reminded him uncannily of his second year, when he and Ron had arrived at Hogwarts in Mr. Weasley's enchanted Ford Angela. After hours of stiff backache, Harry saw Hogsmeade station, a tiny dot on the horizon line. He picked up speed letting the wind rush past his ears. It was 7 oclock and still light outside. Harry wondered where he would hide himself for 5 hours when an idea struck like the shape of his scar. He needed a thick overgrown hidden place where students weren't allowed to go. And he needed protection from everything else living in the forbidden forest. He thought to himself,  
"Harry want Grawp".

Flying slightly over the forest, it didn't take Harry too long to see a large opening in the canopy. The closer he flew the larger this gap became, and it wasn't until he began to descend that he realized more than one giant was dwelling there. Grawp was slumbering deeply but the other giant, even larger than Grawp, appeared to be a female, a very pregnant female that was making something out of leather and a bone needle. Harry knew this could only have been Hagrid's doings. He decided not to make himself known until Gramp woke up so he landed behind a tree near the clearing. The female might be hungry for human, and Harry didn't have a desire to be dinner. So he waited for several hours in the shade, resting his legs and observing the gigantic forms near him. _Go to Moony's old place at Midnight,_ he thought. That could only mean the shrieking shack. He would allow 30 minutes to get there. In the midst of his ponderings, Grawp stirred and let out a tumultous yawn. It was time to speak primitively and politely; it was time to risk being friendly.

Harry gingerly stepped out of the forest directly facing Grawp. Suddenly he realized he better bring him something as a gift so he conjured a bucket of water with his wand (It must be hard getting water when you're tied up.) Just as Grawp noticed him, he bent over and made a low bow to the giant. Grawp let out a loud moan.  
"Grawp, hello. I'm Harry Potter, remember, we met 2 years ago?"  
Moan.  
"This is a gift for you and your, errr, spouse." Harry placed the water between them.  
Moan. Grawp kicked the water over.  
This wasn't going so well.  
"Well, I was wondering if I could stay here with you for a while."  
Moan. The female had stood up and was reaching out towards Harry.  
"May I spend TONIGHT here?"  
The female picked Harry up and dangled him by his feet. A roaring gutsy laugh erupted from her mouth.  
Then Grawp finally spoke.  
"No, Loo. Hager boy. Hager say No."  
The female laughed again and started nibbling on Harry's hair.  
"Hager not here. Loo want food."  
Grawp stamped his foot.  
"Grawp want Hager treats. Hager say no. Hager boy drop."  
"Loo no want Hager treats. Loo want Hager boy."  
"Gramp say No." He punched Loo in the arm, and she immediately dropped Harry. The ground was far from soft.  
"Thanks." Harry bowed at Grawp.  
"Hager boy sleep here."

"Thanks." Harry wasn't too sure about being dubbed _Hager boy_, but it was nevertheless worth it to have a safe secretive place to spend the night.  
"Hager boy help Loo," Gramp grunted.  
Loo made a grimace but thrust two pieces of the thick leather towards Harry and motioned for him to sew. It was harder work than scrubbing for Aunt Petunia. The needle was dull and fat and the leather seemed curiously like Giant skin. Granted, they did kill each other. The sky grew dark as Harry and Loo sewed while Grawp killed birds and built a crude fire by rubbing sticks together. As the stars filled the black sky, Harry checked his watch and decided to get going.  
"Err, I'm going now, I'll be back later."  
"No. Hager boy eat."  
"Err, No thanks. I need to go now, I'll return to spend the night in a few hours."  
"Hager boy no eat?"  
"That's right. Thank you anyway."  
Moan.  
With that, Harry turned into to the woods where he had stashed his broom and took off into the night before the giants could stop him.

McGonagall sat up late in the headmistress's office revising teacher curriculums. She was on herbology right now, and her list included:  
-Enhancing wand performance with roots  
-Healing herbs for minor jinxes  
-Bleeding stopper gemweed applications  
-Shielding plant dust and where to find it  
-Planting unforgivable curse absorbers  
She had gone through over half of the subjects at Hogwarts, carefully extracting activities that involved defense against the Dark Arts to teach to the the students. As she had explained in the last staff meeting,  
"The ministry will not be recieving our new curriculums. These are strictly regarded as information to be kept within the walls of the castle. Under no condition should the woman named Dolores hear of these plans during her weekly visits. Lastly, you should know that we are making better preparations for the war here than you would be if you left Hogwarts. Anyone contemplating resignation should consider seeing me personally for full details of, shall we say, additional ways to help fight."  
Since then, five teachers had visited her office and pledged into the Order of the Phoenix at it's first meeting of the year. The Order was currently meeting in London, at an abandoned barn enchanted to look like a spacious meeting hall.  
McGonagall put down her pen, finishing up with:  
-Firing Bushes to block Inferi

Harry neared the Whomping Willow under his invisibility cloak and checked to see that no peering eyes were nearby. He grabbed a long stick and poked the knot on the trunk temporarily freezing the tree's flailing limbs. He was careful to keep his wand out as he walked down the secret passage towards the shrieking shack. Finally arriving at a wooden structure overhead, Harry climbed up into the dilapidated house. It was looking worse than ever and reeked of rotting timber. Armed, Harry stood at the door waiting for someone to come in. He was early.  
Hermione was the first to show up.  
"Harry, I knew you would come! Quickly now, we have no time to lose. I've caught another animagi, and he has something for you."  
She reached in her bag and pulled out the missing texts that Scrimgeour was supposed to send.  
"I found these in his bags." She shoved them in Harry's arms.  
"He meant to just tell me something to relate to you," but I was too quick for him to escape. You'll have the freedom of questioning him yourself, I daresay, as I have his wand and control over his body."  
Harry tried to get a word in.  
"Hermione, who is it? Do you have the imperious curse on someone?"  
"Oh no, of course not, let me just show you before he misses his meeting. That would ruin everything." She urgently pulled a glass container out of her bag.

Inside the jar was none other than a fat, scraggly, familiar looking rat. One with a small silver hand, and the one Harry despised as Peter Pettigrew.  
"I can let him transform and bind him with ropes if you would like to question him Harry. The only problem is that the death eaters are meeting at half past twelve, and he'll need to be there. I would have asked you to come earlier, but the patrols don't get off grounds duty until 11:30 and I didn't want you to be seen here. Alright, do you want me to release him?"  
Harry had an immediate desire to smash the jar and the contents within it, but he held back.  
"Yeah, go ahead, I'd like to know what the traitor has to say."  
Hermione unscrewed the lid, which had holes punched in it, and dumped Pettigrew onto the bed in the shrieking shack. He instanty tried to run away but she held him tight.  
"Now, reveal yourself."  
Harry and Hermione watched the rat slowly transform into a squat, balding man with a twitching mannerism. Hermione bound him with invisible ropes when he was in full form.  
"Heehello, friends. It's a p-pleasure to see you again."  
Hermione frowned. "No, it isn't. Don't be ridiculous. Just spit out what you were going to tell Harry."  
"R-right. I am here because I owe you my life Potter and I wanted to tell you that you are in great danger."  
Harry nodded. "Yes, I figured that much out on mine own thanks. Go on."  
"Yes. I am also here to tell you that Bellatrix Lestrange has found out your place of residence from a certain House elf and she is there right now attempting to kill you. Unfortunately for her, I overheard the plan and d-decided to help you. There, you are saved. My debt is paid. Now, will you release me?" He quivered.  
"Not so fast! Why would you want to pay your debt if not to free yourself from restraint in order to further service Voldemort?"  
"D-Don't say that. I really mean it. I am here as a spy for you, not for him. P-please, now let me go. AHH. The mark grows black. He is calling."  
Hermione lowered her wand and Pettigrew staggered.  
"There, leave us. You have said enough."


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, it's err good to see you Hermione. How's Ginny doing?"  
"Oh, she making out. We all miss you Harry. Ron has been rather mopey this year, and Gryffindor quidditch is suffering considerably."  
Harry felt guilty. Quidditch just didn't seem that important to him anymore. He looked at Hermione. She had matured a lot and looked very nice in the flickering light of the shack.  
"Yeah, speaking of Ron, I should probably get going. He'll be expecting me to help him with Transfiguration work."  
It was then that Harry decided what a terrible mistake he was making not to be at Hogwarts. Just to think that he could be headed back to a warm fire and friends with homework as his biggest worry instead of the fear of Loo's appetite. And even if he couldn't be seen in public, it was worth it just to be on the grounds again. After all, he couldn't go back to Number 12, as Bellatrix knew about it. Not to mention that Dumbledore had mentioned a Horcrux lying within the walls of the castle. Harry made up his mind then and there to stay at school, but he didn't tell Hermione.  
"Well, tell Ron I said hello."  
"OK." Hermione looked like she wanted to mention something else but refrained from speaking. The two walked back down the tunnel together, wished each other goodnight, and parted.  
When Harry reached the giants, they were both asleep. He soundlessly curled up by the embers of the fire and immediately drifted off, gladly thinking that he hadn't been at Grimmauld place.

Harry was going to need more than just roasted bird if he was going to survive. He thought of getting Dobby to help him out but thought it would be better not to let anyone know his whereabouts. So he decided to go to Hogsmeade over the weekend and stock up on food.  
On Friday night, Harry mounted his broom wearing his invisibility cloak, and flew into the village. He would go to Greg's grocer and Honeyduke's sweets. Just as he was entering Greg's (he had to wait until someone was coming out of the store before he could go in), Harry saw a strange sight on the side of the building. Next to the three broomsticks, in an alleyway, Ron was holding hands with Hermione. Harry didn't feel angered, just a little surprised.  
"Hermione, I just wanted you to know, that.."  
"That what Ron?"  
"Well, I, err.."  
Before he could finish the sentence, Hermione had pulled him into a sudden kiss, and neither seemed to want to stop. Harry was fascinated. He had no idea that his two best friends felt this way about each other. Curious to see more, he walked closer under the disguise of being thin air.  
Hermione was wrapping her arms around Ron's neck and pulling him closer towards her. Ron's eyes widened a little, but then he pulled her waist in his direction. The two continued to kiss fervently, completely unaware that they were being watched.

Harry watched as Ron and Hermione became more and more intimate. Should he leave? Should he throw a rock so they would stop? Finally, he decided to stay put. He, Harry, would make sure Ron didn't go too far.  
Ron looked around from right to left at one point to make sure no one was looking. Then he returned his gaze back to Hermione, and resumed his business.  
"Ron, we should go somewhere private."  
Ron clearly did not want to leave.  
"But this is private." Smooch.  
"No, stop. Let's go someplace else, I've got a bad feeling about this.  
Just then, Harry had an unsatiable desire to sneeze. His eyes watered, he was trying so hard not to, but it was so dark and dusty.  
"Lumos." Hermione turned her wand on and Harry, seeing the light, let out a big one.  
"What was that?"  
"It was a person, Ron, don't be silly. I told you this was a bad idea." They started groping in thin air reaching for Harry. He ran. Being seen by them would be worse than encountering a Khaenor. He found an adjoining alleyway, and dissapeared out of mind's eye. That had been a close call.

Dumbledore was walking through the Chamber of Secrets down a small tunnel with a narrow diameter. He pushed his hands against the walls looking for something. Finally, he came to it, an indendure the size of a galleon with a small engraved snake on it. He tried every spell, knowing all along that only Parseltongue would open it. This was the chamber of the basillisk snake that Harry had killed in his second year. It would open into a much larger cavity.  
Giving up, Dumbledore headed back down the passageway and greeted Fawkes in the opening. Fawkes provided a small dinner of roast pork medallions, spinach, and pumpkin juice. The phoenix had the power to transfer food from the kitchens of the castle into the dungeons below. The former headmaster ate in peace, and in relative peace with the exception of Mer-speech glimpses that he heard from above (at the bottom of the lake).  
About halfway through the meal, Dumbledore saw a silvery, glowing otter enter the Chamber. It was the Patronus of Severus Snape. The message it bore was simple, "Potter is back. Hagrid told me the giants have company now. We knew it would only be a matter of time."  
"Ahh" Dumbledore sighed.  
His hiding place was less secure that before. Especially if Potter would be looking for Horcruxes. He may try the Chamber, just as Dumbledore had been trying moments before his dinner.  
It was then that Dumbledore realized it may be important for him to move into hiding at an alternative spot. Perhaps the forest, or with Severus? No, it was best to stay here until Harry cottoned on. Then, he would have Fawkes deliver a warning.

Harry had a small meal, knitted for a while with Loo, and prepared for bed. He noticed a container of water had been brought to the giants but thought nothing of it. As he was falling asleep, he contemplated telling Ron and Hermione that he was staying at Hogwarts. Surely they wouldn't leak information out to the outside world letting Voldemort or Belllatrix find out of his whereabouts.  
Thinking of Ron and Hermione made him remember his earlier encounters with them. How naughty of his friends to form an intimate relationship without telling him! It made him fantasize about Ginny, and he fell asleep to memories of their last kiss, which hadn't been nearly as passionate as Ron and Hermione's.  
The next day, Harry was rudely awakened by Grawp pulling on his hair that Loo had already nibbled on.  
"Hager boy go see Hager."  
"No, Grawp. I can't tell anyone that I'm staying here."  
"Grawp tell Hager about Hager boy." Deep chuckle.  
"No, don't do that! Please."  
"Hager come to Grawp, no Hager boy, Grawp tell Hager." Guffaw.  
Suddenly Harry realized where the water had come from. Hagrid must have visited while he was gone to Hogsmeade.  
The whole school probably knew by now if Hagrid knew!

Harry was now determined to tell Ron and Hermione the truth about where he was staying. If Hagrid knew, they had a right to the information. He pulled some parchment and a quill out of his trunk and began to write:

_Dear Ron and Hermione,  
I hope you are doing well. The place you indicated in your last letter is a good place to be on Wednesday at midnight. Someone will be there to meet you. Best,  
Harry_

He wanted to make sure that no one would understand the place except for the recipients of his letter. He doubted anything would happen to it, especially since it had such a short distance to travel.  
Oh another piece of parchment, Harry wrote to Hagrid:

_Hagrid,  
Your little brother is right about the visitor. If you want to see him too, come out anytime before dark. Thanks for what you sent the other day. Don't mention this to the other staff. Love,  
Harry _

He sealed his letters and attached them to a plump looking Hedwig. Evidently the forest was suiting her tastebuds quite well. He released her and she dissapeared into the sky, a snow speck against the blue.

Harry was reading over Scrimgeour's notes that night just at dusk when he heard rustles in the forest. It obviously wasn't Grawp or Loo, as they were being their usual boring selves working around camp.  
"Oy Harry! Good ter see yeh!" It was Hagrid and he had his usual barbaric appearance, even though Harry knew he was quite kindhearted.  
Grawp immediately stirred upon hearing Hagrid's voice and moaned.  
"HAGER! Grawp see Hager!"  
"Yes, hello there little fella. Now, Harry, what it carnation are yeh doin' out in these parts without letting anyone in on it? We were all under the impression that you were out at Number 12 until I happened to bring Grawpy here and his gal some water the other day."  
"Well, I errr, didn't want to stay there anymore." He explained about Bellatrix attempting to kill him and Pettigrew stepping in just in time with information.  
Hagrid frowned. "Yes, but how do yeh know Pettigrew wasn't lying to try to win your favor or someat?"  
"Because he seemed to think his life debt to me was over. Remember I saved him from Sirius and Lupin in 3rd year. Speaking of Lupin, how is he Hagrid? Have you been in contact?"  
"As a matter of fact I have. He's getting married to Tonks on Halloween if yeh'd like ter go. The wedding will be at here at Hogwarts, yeh see, Lupin's teaching potions now."  
Harry did a slight doubletake but then remembered that Snape was no longer at the castle, or so he thought.  
"Who's teaching defense against the dark arts?"  
"Ohh, that's McGonagall's big new pride. She's hired a chap name Clarence Yancy, a right old pureblood who's all about some practical spells. Best teacher since Lupin, I daresay. Also, McGonagall has changed the curriculum so that all the classes are permeated with defense skills. War precaution, yeh know."  
Harry thought of Umbridge in his 5th year and how bad defense against the dark arts had been. He had a sudden longing to start the DA again in secret. Maybe he would mention it to Hermione at their meeting.  
Grawp stole the attention of Hagrid away again.  
"Hager eat. Loo cook."  
"No thanks Grawpy boy. Glad you're a gettin' along but I'll need to be headin' back in before dark."  
He stayed a visited with Harry for a little longer and then left into the forest just as night fell.

Just as Harry was falling asleep that night, he remembered something from last year. When they were cleaning the Black's house, they had found a locket that wouldn't open. What if that was the true Horcrux that Regulus Black had taken from Voldemort's cave? What if he had been there with it all summer and hadn't known what it was?  
Harry had a desire to hop on his broom right then and fetch the locket from Number 12 Grimmauld place, but he knew he had to meet Hermione and Ron the next day. He fretfully fell asleep, hoping Bellatrix hadn't found the locket when she went on her mission to kill Harry.  
The next day passed rather quickly. Harry practiced legimancy on the Giants and discovered that Grawp had a very unfortunate childhood. The bigger, stronger giants wouldn't leave him alone and he often got beat up by them.  
Finallly, the night came, and it was time for Harry to leave the forest. He made it to the Whomping Willow, pushed the knot, and crawled in undamaged by the now frozen limbs around him. The passageway to the Shrieking Shack was long, cold, and damp. When Harry got there, he peeked into the room and saw that Ron and Hermione were already there.  
"Oh Harry, it's YOU! We were so curious as to who it would be."  
"Yeah, I'm staying here at Hogwarts now, with the Giants. I, err, thought I would tell you guys."  
"Well mate, since when have you been there? I've been dying to see you. Good, now we can play quidditch!"  
Hermione spoke up. "Honestly Ronald, you think he didn't tell us for a reason? He's clearly in hiding judging from the secret nature of that letter we received. Aren't you Harry?"  
"I errr, yeah. That's pretty much it. I couldn't go back to Grimmauld after what Pettigrew said. But now, I actually want to." Harry explained about the locket they had found last year and thought nothing of.   
"Oh Harry, you're probably right. Well, we're coming with you, and we're going tonight!"


	4. Chapter 4

"What?" Harry stammered. "We can't just leave Hogwarts right now, without a plan whatsoever. I would have gone last night by myself if I'd have known you wanted to get yourself in danger."  
Hermione looked more determined than a hipogriff about to slash Malfoy.  
"Harry, what is the number of times that you have rashly gone off on journeys without security? We're talking about destroying Voldemort here."  
Ron piped in.  
"Yeah, listen to her."  
"Do you think I'm just going to say fine, let's grab Threstals and go? No, we're not going."  
Now Hermione looked hurt and Ron puzzled.  
"Since when have you stopped trusting us? You're not the only one in the magical community with an idea."  
Harry's temper started to rise.  
"Why should I trust you two when you won't even tell me you have a thing for each other? Yeah that's right, I saw you making out in Hogsmeade. That was me, I don't care if you know. Who cares about friendship where there's oooooh aaaahh, love, and kisses? You could have at least told me you were going out before you started showing the world!"  
It was like a freight train flying off of Harry's chest. He wanted to scream.  
Ron started blushing furiously.  
"We were going to tell you Harry, its just been so hard to communicate what with Umbridge intercepting letters and all." Hermione was starting to cry.  
Sheepishly, Ron nodded.  
"Harry, quit taking this personally. I'm leaving." Ron slammed the door of the shrieking shack and walked out without another word.  
Hermione yelled at him "Ron, wait, we're still going to Number 12 Grimmauld place, don't go."  
"No, obviously some people would rather sneak up on other people's business than do things that are important. Bye."  
Now Hermione was really crying. Harry couldn't take this pathetic show of emotions. He would go by himself tonight without telling them.  
"Nice Hermione, maybe hiding another secret would make you feel better. You didn't seem so sad when you and Ron were being friendly the other day. Screw this, I'm out of here."  
"No wait!" But her call only filled an empty room previously filled with guilt and anger, now silence and sadness.

Harry stormed out of the shack without a care for his friends. If they wanted to keep secrets, he would too. When he made it back to the giants, he mounted his broom and flew out of the forest towards Hogsmeade station. It was dark, but he could make out the train tracks that led back to Platform 9 and 3/4. It took him hours of tired, painstaking flying to finally reach his destination. But he wasn't at Number 12 yet. Exhausted, Harry forced himself to journey onward. Just as the sun was coming up, he reached the familiar street. He had gotten lost several times, but his broom had a tracking feature on it that helped him map the correct direction when he finally remembered to use it.  
Harry, with the invisibility cloak over his body, neared Number 12 and thought the address in his head, making it's doorfront appear. He entered, and was tempted to collapse on a sofa, but instead he made his way upstairs to the room he knew the locket to be in. But when he got there, to his surprise, he was not the only person in the house. Bellatrix Lestrange was conversing with Lucius Malfoy. Harry only hoped they hadn't noticed the door open.  
Harry remembered reading an article about Malfoy's recent "escape" from Azkaban, that everyone knew had been aided by death eaters. Muggle's souls had paid off the dementors. It had been horrible.  
He listened and heard them talking.  
"Damn it! The dark lord has to have this and it won't budge from the drawer. You try again Lucius."  
Malfoy casually let out a spell.  
"Extrapulis!" Then he reached his hand into the drawer and janked with all his might.  
"Forget it Bellatrix, we need innocent hands to touch this, we've been here all night and obviously our attempts are failing pitifully." He pivoted on his feet and ran his hand through his long blond hair.  
"But Lucius, the dark lord said..."  
"I know what he said. I am not an idiot. But if the Potter boy returns, then we will kill him so it's of no consequence. The dark lord no longer cares who exterminates that pestilent boy, so we can handle that."  
Harry knew otherwise. He knew the prophesy.  
"He's come of age Lucius, he is no longer a boy."  
"Do I look like I care? His abilities are still pathetic, he is lucky and nothing more." Lucius suddenly looked like he was struck with an idea.  
"The Elf, the elf can touch the locket!"  
Harry edged away from the door, invisible, so they wouldn't bump into them on their way out. He was going to steal the locket before they got back with Kreacher.

As soon as they had shuffled out of the room, Harry tiptoed to the still-open drawer. He looked into it and reached an invisible hand towards the locket. Apprehensively, he touched it, afraid it wouldn't move. But it did. The shiny metal slid into his palm easily, and slipped into his pocket even faster.  
Now, the question was how to get out of the house. If he went out the door, he would risk bumping into Bellatrix or Malfoy. One possibility was a window, but what if they entered and noticed it was open? He couldn't just stay in the room, because they would see the locket missing and try to find whoever stole it. Harry concluded that he would stay in the room until they entered, then he would exit before they got to the drawer. Timing was critical.  
It wasn't too long before Harry heard noises outside.  
"Yes, oh faithful sister to the Blacks, I will be only too happy to pick up the old thing for you." Kreacher crooned to Bellatrix, soundly only too happy to help.  
They entered the room but Lucius locked the door behind him.  
"We don't want anyone interrupting us here. Now, bring me the elf!"  
Harry was trapped. If he said Alohomora, his hiding spot would be revealed. It would only be a matter of minutes before they noticed the locket was gone. He was going to have to act, and fast.

Lucius reached the dresser after Kreacher and Bellatrix, who had her mouth hanging as wide open as Loo when she burped.  
"Oh nicely done, the elf already has the locket. Give it to me, now."  
"Kreacher does not hold anything in his hands sir. Kreacher awaits seeing the locket with greatest temptation. He will save the locket for his mistress, he will hide it in his stash where he will make her proud. No chance of even the prying pure bloods will get it then."  
"SEIZE the elf! He has stolen it. Bellatrix, take hold of him, now."  
Bellatrix only shook her head, still gaping.  
"I was here with the traitor elf. He took nothing in his palm. Somehow it has dissappeared."  
Meanwhile, Harry was quietly turning the lock. He didn't want to curse the two intruders for fear that his identity would be revealed, and the message would be relayed to Voldemort that Harry had the Horcrux. He definately couldn't use the window now, so the door was his only hope. He would wait until one of them said something loud, then he would click the lock open and steal out of the house unnoticed. His chance came before he realized it.  
"A THIEF." Lucius said it just loud enough to conceal the metallic noise of the door being unlocked.  
"They must still be in the house. Elf, did you have something to do with this treachery. The dark lord punishes those who are dishonest. Empty the pockets of your rag."  
"K-kreacher would never l-lie. _The filthy stealing intruders. Kreacher will get the locket now if he has a chance._" He emptied his pockets and out came silver plates in the shape of playing cards with the Black family crest on them and ancient looking cloth napkins.  
Harry saw this as his chance to open the door. While they were filtering through Kreachers treasures, he quietly opened the door and closed it back. From inside the room he heard an exclamation.  
"Did you hear that Lucius? The door sounded like it was creaking, I could have sworn..."  
"I heard nothing. Our thief is this stinking elf here. Unless someone entered the house as I mentioned earlier. Bellatrix, go to the door and make sure it's locked."  
But it wasn't.

Harry plummeted down the stairs of number 12 as fast as the Weasley twins could throw a knome from the garden. He had never felt like such a thief in his entire life. The locket felt heavy in his pocket, and he kept his hand inside his pocket to reassure himself it was there. When he was about halfway down the steps, Lucius and Bellatrix burst out of the room.  
"Run to the outside door and lock it before they can get out. I'll check the other rooms upstairs, you go down." Lucius was shouting orders to Bellatrix.  
She started nearing Harry's spot on the stairs and if she got much closer, she would bump right into him. The stairs were narrow. To Harry's relief, she stopped for a moment during her descent and called to Lucius.  
"What if they've already apparated?"  
This gave Harry an obvious idea. He started concentrating as hard as he possibly could on a place he knew very well. A place he despised but might be a little safer than where he was now. With a loud pop, the invisible Harry Potter was transferred to Privet Drive, with only the noise of his departure to indicate he had been standing two feet away from Bellatrix Lestrange moments earlier.

Unfortunately for Harry, his skills at Apparition were not quite as fine tuned as that of Hermione Granger. His destination had been the cupboard under the stairs, in reality he landed on top of the dining room table. In fact, he interrupted a very proper brunch served by his Aunt Petunia, in front of two of the neighbors.  
Harry took in the scene less than gracefully. Uncle Vernon's facial thermometer began to rise, Dudley wet himself, Aunt Petunia let out a gasp of horror uncannily like the time Harry had blown up Aunt Marge, and the neighbors spit out the food and drink they were currently consuming.  
"YOU BOY, are not allowed in this house. Greg, Virginia, ignore this boy, he's my deranged nephew, who just jumped on the table. He is annoyingly quick, so it sometimes looks like he just pops out of nowhere, but believe me, that's impossible. If you'll excuse that, we can continue eating. YOU are leaving this instant. You have no right to be here now that you've come of age. Go back to St. Brutus's where you belong." Uncle Vernon continued to explain about Harry's unfortunate mentality and how he went to a school for criminal boys.  
Harry wished there was a safe place that would accept him. He didn't want to go to the burrow because of his recent row with Ron, and Hogwarts was too far away, especially when he was exhausted. Disobeying Uncle Vernon, Harry found a home in his old cupboard under the stairs and fell straight asleep, with the locket in his pocket.  
He was awakened by the sound of Dudley's heavy horse clodding feet slowing making their fat way down the stairs. An ache in his neck reminded him of where he was and why he had slept so poorly. He dreaded having to face his aunt and uncle, especially when they thought he had left the house.

Harry put his glasses on and left the creaky cupboard behind (his broomstick inside). He had slept through the daytime and it was now late evening. He crept into the kitchen and dreaded facing his relatives.  
Luckily, no one was in the kitchen. The three Dursley's were chowing down on TV dinners while they watched a game show. Harry gathered his thoughts and cleared his throat as he entered the living room.  
"Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, I'm really sorry to err bother you, but I had to stay here for..."  
Dudley gasped and knocked over his tray of fattening food. Uncle Vernon spoke:  
"YOU boy, this is outrageous. You have no right to be in this house. I told you to leave and that is what I meant. Do I look brainless to you?" He said this with glazed over eyes that had been watching television for the last hour.  
"Look, I'll be out of here as fast as I can, I just..."  
Furiously, Uncle Vernon cut Harry off with a face the color of beet.  
"You just intruded into our private lives without asking. We've put up with you boy for too long already. Why aren't you at that freak school?"  
"Becuase I was looking for a Horcrux so I destroy it. Horcruxes are objects with a piece of Voldemort's soul in them."  
"Quit using those weird words in my house! You still haven't explained what landed your lazy hide here."  
"Well, I was getting at that. After I found the Horcrux (Uncle Vernon grimaced), some deatheaters tried to capture me, so I had to dissappear from the place I was at."  
"Well, why'd you have to show up here, ruining the middle of Petunia's brunch? There is no excuse for this, I've heard enough. For the final time, I am asking you to leave."  
"YES." Aunt Petunia stepped in.  
Harry was left with only one choice, to get his things. So much for the thought of dinner. As he was leaving, Aunt Petunia got up to usher him out, and when the other Dursley's were occupied with the television, she whispered in his ear.  
"I've called Mrs. Figg, she's expecting you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five coming soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry left McGonagall with loads of parchment to fill out. He made his way up to the Fat Lady's portrait and realized he did't know the password.  
"Hey, do you remember me? I really need to get in."  
"Password?"  
"No, that's the thing, I've just moved back here and I don't know it."  
From behind him, laughter echoed through the hall.  
"Harry? Are you in a tight spot there?"  
He whipped around and saw Ginny Weasley's grinning countenance.  
"Ginny!" His vision blurred, his heart could have lept through the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall. It had been months since they had spoken to each other.  
"The password is Foreign Fortune."  
He couldn't think of the right words to say to her. It was as if a giant troll had manifested itself in his throat. He wanted to say something intelligent or witty but all that came out was a feeble "thanks".  
The two entered the common room only to be greeted by another rousing crowd of people. Ginny gave Harry a brief smile and then dissapeared up to the girl's dormitory. He hadn't even gotten to have a conversation with her. Was she still upset about their break-up at the end of last year? Merlin, she looked so good.  
Dean Thomas came over to Harry and slapped him on the back.  
"We've missed you old boy. Welcome back!"  
Others greeted him in a similar fashion, but all he could think about was the red hair that had just whipped up the staircase. If only he could follow her up there and just watch her.  
All thoughts of white gold, horcruxes, challenging classes he was already behind in, and fighting with Ron flew from Harry's brain. That brief encounter with Ginny was enough to throw him completely off track. He left the common room and went upstairs to brood. Maybe he would write her a letter.  
After five crossed out attempts at trying to sound nonchalant, Harry finally arrived at a composition that seemed cool enough to be sent.

_Dear Ginny,  
It was so good to see you earlier today. Thanks for letting me into the portrait hole.(a hopeful double-entendre? how naughty Harry) I hope you've been doing all right this year. If you ever need a friend to talk to, I'll be around.  
-Harry  
P.S. Are you going to the Quidditch match tomorrow?_

He rolled up the letter and attached it to Hedwig, who had made her way to Hogwarts already. Right after he sent his message, Ron entered the room and an uncomfortable silence filled the air.

Harry was very glad his letter to Ginny wasn't still in his hands for Ron to pry into. Expecting Ron to speak, Harry waited and the silence continued to make him nervous.  
Finally, Ron said something:  
"What?" He shrugged and began to change into maroon pajamas. The room seemed even more quiet than before. Ron dissapeared behind the hangings of his bed.  
Harry decided to do the same. If Ron wanted to be ignored, then he, Harry, wasn't going to stop it. Being at Hogwarts was almost worst than getting nibbled upon by Loo if your best friend didn't care about you.  
Harry crawled under the covers and pulled out Scrimgeour's auror notes. He fell asleep thinking about vigilance and work ethic.

The next morning, everyone was excited about the quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. It was all a matter of points at this stage in the year. Gryffindors were cheering for Hufflepuff, as Ravenclaw had already beaten Slytherin and were looking to be a big rival. Harry lumbered down to the breakfast table with the rest of the fans, looking around for Ginny Weasley and trying to avoid someone else with red hair.  
He spotted her at the breakfast table talking with some other sixth years, including Luna Lovegood. For some foreign reason, Harry just kept on walking with his chest puffed out a little further until he found Hermione. He would talk to her, instead.  
She seemed to be very preoccupied with The Daily Prophet.  
"Uhh, Hermione? Do you mind if I sit with you?"  
"Not at all, if you'll stop treating me like the enemy or something."  
"Look, I was going to talk to you yesterday, but McGonagall made me register for classes."  
"Tut, tut, you're full of excuses. But that's not the point."  
Harry was confused.  
"What is the point?"  
"That you've been attacking Ron and I for nothing! Are you even sorry for all those bruises you gave him?"  
"Listen Hermione, I don't want to talk about Ron, I was just hoping we could still be friends. He's ignoring me anyway."  
"It seems out of the question for me not be friends with you Harry, I can't believe we've had this ridiculous fight. But I want you to apologize to Ron."  
"You can forget that."  
Maybe sitting with her hadn't been such a good idea.

The two finished their meal in silence. Harry noticed that Ron was sitting with Dean and Seamus, probably trying to avoid Harry even though he was next to Hermione.  
Breakfast ended, and everyone filed out to the Quidditch pitch to watch the match. Harry was walking beside Hermione when he heard a voice coming from behind.  
"Uhh Harry, thanks for the owl yesterday."  
Hermione snickered, it was Ginny.  
"Oh, I'm glad you got it, so do you err, want to sit together?" Harry glared at Hermione, from the looks of her winks and insinuations, she had read the note Harry sent.  
"Well sure, why don't we all sit in the Gryffindor section. I'm with Luna and some friends, and Hermione will sit with us of course."  
"Sounds great." They made their way up to the stands, many of them wearing yellow to support Hufflepuff.  
When they got to the seats, Harry made a point of sitting next to Ginny. This would be his big chance to catch up with her, to see how she was doing. If only he could talk more normally this time.  
The match began, Ravenclaw immediately had the quaffle, and they scored within the first five minutes. Gryffindors moaned.  
"So, Ginny, how's Hogwarts been treating you?"  
"Oh, just fine. I've decided I want to pursue a career in Practical Charms, so I've been seeing a lot of Flitwick lately. How in the world have you been Harry?"  
He wanted to tell her how lonely he had been, and all about the Horcrux he had stolen, but instead he grabbed her hand.  
Her eyes widened, and then she pulled her hand out of his.  
"Are you OK?"  
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, that's really cool that you're interested in Charms, there's tons of opportunities in that field."  
He felt so stupid for grabbing her hand, now she would know he still liked her, and from the looks of it, her feelings might not be the same.

Ginny swore as Ravenclaw made another swooping score.  
"Sorry about that Harry, it's just that Ravenclaw will have more points than Gryffindor if they win this match. Hufflepuff has got to, ARGGG, a turnover."  
Harry didn't seem as keenly interested in quidditch as he used to be. But he wanted to stay on topic so the sour memory of his hand on hers would fade away quickly.  
"So, you're playing quidditch still, aren't you?"  
"Yes, of course, I'm seeker since you decided to leave. Hmmm, maybe I'll get to be keeper with you back and all..."  
"Wait, you mean, I'LL be playing again? After abandoning the team?"  
"True, that is a point Harry, but with talent like yours Ron and Hagrid will find it hard to keep you off."  
"Ron, Hagrid what do they have to do with this?"  
"Well, Ron's Captain, and Hagrid took Madam Hooch's place. See him out there on the field? He does control rivalry quite well, I must say. Too bad he'll never fly though."  
"Oh." Harry knew his chances of getting on the team with a mad Ron in charge were as slim as his old History of Magic grades. Still astounded, Harry's curiosity took him.  
"Ginny, why can't Hagrid fly?"  
"It's his giant blood. But he can nevertheless, instruct proper seating technique and tell us how to take off. I mean, look at Filch, he's a poor old squib, and he still monitors magic in the corridors."  
Someone in a hooded jacket in front of them grunted and turned an angered head in their direction. From the looks of their height, it must be one of the teachers responsible for watching over student sections.  
It was Filch.

"NEVER insult me. I'll tell the headmistress about this one. Back in the day, only the punishment of hanging students by their very toenails would recompense for this. You just wait, Weasel, just like your brothers are yeh?"  
Harry glanced and Ginny and tried not to laugh.  
"Quick, Harry, let's go!"  
Hermione looked befuddled as Harry and Ginny made their way quickly through the stands. Evidently Hufflepuff had finally scored so a lot of commotion was going on.  
"Where are we going?"  
"Away from Filch, come on!"  
Indeed, Filch was blundering his way towards them.  
"You rotten kids aren't going anywhere."  
They started to make their way down the stairs. Ginny looked over at Harry, smiled, and kept running. Maybe that grin had made him miss the fact that as they flew down the stairs they were suddenly hand in hand. This time, she didn't seem to mind. They reached the bottom of the stairs and Harry locked the door behind them.  
"Malohamora."

It was the middle of a beautiful fall day, and slants of light were coming in through the wooden slats that made up the Gryffindor stand. One of these beams was hitting Ginny's face and making her features glow as if a lumos spell had been cast upon it. Harry was captivated by her red hair, something he had always found fascinating. He remembered the first time he had met this girl, when she was with the other Weasley's at Platform 9 3/4.  
"Harry, snap out of it."  
She had lightly squeezed his hand which reminded him that he was holding it. It seemed so small in his, which had grown tough from sewing with Loo.  
Soon, they heard a knocking on the locked door and both started to laugh. A muffled "I'll get yeh!" passed through the wood. Harry and Ginny made their way away from the door.  
"Do you want to go somewhere private to talk?" Harry sincerely did, and hoped Ginny would agree.  
"Sure, how about the channel that circulates around the quidditch pitch. We could climb down in there."  
The two scrambled down into the tunnel, Harry helping her down. At one point she tripped, and Harry caught her in his arms.  
"Put me down before I forget this dangerous idea."  
Harry eased her out of his arms, noticing how slender she seemed and how silky her shirt was. They sat in the shadows of the tunnel and continued to talk about their lives. Harry finally opened up about the Horcrux, and Ginny was amazed. She swore not to tell anyone.  
"I bet, if you made it public, tons of witches would donate their white gold to destroy that locket."  
"Yeah, maybe." Harry smirked at the immaturity of this idea. Publicity would ruin his chances against Voldemort. But he didn't want to be mean to Ginny, especially when his heart was pumping in his chest the way it was now.  
"What was that look all about Harry? Surely my idea wasn't that bad."  
She had read him the way Hermione read a Potions book. He couldn't help but tell the truth.  
"The problem is that I don't want everyone to know what I'm doing. That would ruin it."  
"Would it though, you could have help you know. Like this."  
She leaned into Harry's face, her eyes wide with mischief and mystery, and kissed him before he could refuse.

Harry had been so lonely for such a long time, that this type of attention from the girl he thought most about was more than he could resist. The kiss ended as quickly as it had begun, and Harry was left startled, his face glowing with red. He leaned in for another one, and this time Ginny turned her face so that he was kissing her cheek.  
Harry felt dumb. Why was she playing a game with him? It was if Ginny had touched a hot cauldron and realized she didn't want to touch it again. What was going on?  
Harry face betrayed his confusion.  
"I was just kidding!" Ginny grinned and laughed. Then she moved closer to him and kissed him, this time longer and less hesitant. Harry did not refuse. He found himself smiling amoungst the exchange, feeling much better about her. She was such a trickster.  
They continued to kiss more rapidly, Harry taking the lead as he lightly massaged her back and pulled her closer to him. His breathing was becoming rapid and she was starting to feel unnaturally warm in his embrace. His hand wandered to her robe and began to loosen it.  
"Ginny, is this, err, OK?"  
"I don't know, I just want to be closer to you. I want you to stay here, and not leave again."  
Awkwardly, Harry continued to disrobe her, not sure if he was doing the right thing or not. This was Ron's sister, what if he found out? But Harry's emotions were taking over. He could feel her pulsing heart against his chest. Her slender fingers were rummaging with his own robes, and then her hands were holding onto his shoulders. He rolled over on top of her, and fulfilled his feelings, carrying out what seemed the most natural thing he had ever done. Guilt and pleasure surfaced in this thoughts. But she didn't seem to mind at all. Her occasional utterances made him feel powerful and overwhelmed with sensation.  
Distant jeers from the quidditch stands seemed unimportant and far away from the intimate area they had created. Exhausted, she laid in his arms, and he felt more relieved than he had felt in a long time. It was if he hadn't realized how much stress and taxation was upon him until he let them all out, with the bitter sweetness of this embrace.  
"Harry?" She whispered.  
"What is it?"  
"Don't leave again, will you do that?"  
Knowing that he might have to, he fell silent for a few moments.  
"I'll stay."


	7. Chapter 7

Harry and Ginny left the tunnel together as it was getting dark outside. The wind was nippy and brisk. The quidditch match was long over. From the signs of blue and bronze confetti littering the field, it appeared that Ravenclaw had won the match. The two walked up to the great hall for dinner, feeling starved.  
They sat down together and began to feast on the delicious meal in front of them. The main course was roasted duck and cranberry salad. Nearly Headless Nick came up to them and began to chat.  
"So, have you heard about the wedding coming up? Halloween's next Friday night and Lupin and Tonks are getting married in one of the dungeons. The reception is open to all Hogwarts students."  
"Oh yeah, I think Hagrid told me about that."  
They finished their meal chatting about the wedding and their regrets over the match which they pretended to have seen. After dinner, Harry walked Ginny up to the Gryffindor Commons, and then headed to the library to do some research for Potions. He had been told that he would have to catch up on all the work he had missed so far by summarizing chapters and writing essays on the material he had been absent for. It was going to me a troll of a task.  
Harry staggered into the commons, exhausted, just past curfew. Ron had fallen asleep on the couch. Harry started to wonder why he was upset with Ron, and then he remembered seeing he and Hermione kiss. That seemed like nothing after his afternoon with Ginny, who was inconveniently Ron's sister. He would attempt to make amends.  
"Hey mate, you might want to get up now."  
"H-Harry, five more minutes."  
"Look, am I going to have to drag you up to your bed?"  
Ron opened a sleepy eye and looked up.  
"HARRY! Get away from me!" Ron jumped up and fell/walked up to the dormitory, ignoring Harry's attempt to help him.  
Harry followed him up, realizing their friendship was going to take a while to heal.

During the next week, Harry was bombarded with school pressure, dirty looks from Ron, and secret kisses from Ginny. He had little time to focus on Scrimgeour's auror scrolls, Cille Slensinger's Legimancy book, or his plans for destroying and finding Horcruxes. Hogwarts seemed to be zoning him into a safe secure lull, where he was getting little done to put an end to Voldemort.  
If it hadn't been for Hermione, Harry didn't know how he would have made it through the first week. With Ron ignoring him, it was hard enough trying to get accostumed to the turbulent waters of Hogwarts troubles. Hermione proved to be an excellent academic resource, as expected, and a surprising counselor when it came to Ginny. To Harry's first dismay, Ginny was telling Hermione everything that was going on between them, save a certain tunnel experience. Later though, he realized that Hermione was trustworthy and filled with understanding for witch issues, something Harry was still needing a spell to enlighten him on.  
The weather was getting cooler out and the night of Halloween was rapidly approaching. Students were filled with rumors about Lupin and Tonks' wedding. It seemed highly unlikely that the giant pumpkins would be filled with mulled mead for the occasion, or that Tonks would be donning pink hair and a hooknose for the event, or that the full moon would inconveniently come out. But it did seem probable that the Hogwarts parents including the Weasley's would be attending and that Tonks had ordered a black dress.  
On the night before Halloween, Harry found himself sitting up in the commons working on Charms catch- up work, when a strange sight greeted him through the fire. It was none other than Lupin himself, the Potions master.  
"Students of the Gryffindor Commons, seal the chamber. The school is not safe right now. I report to you becuase McGonagall has been called away. DO NOT leave the commons."  
With that, he had dissapeared. Harry looked up at Dean and Seamus who were nearby,  
"You don't think it's Deatheater's again do you?"  
Hermione piped up from behind.  
"Harry, no time to discuss this now. Help me round up as many people who know an inperterbable charm as you can to help seal the portrait of the fat lady."  
"Err, allright."  
Together, Harry and Hermione gathered ten others who knew the charm to safeguard the commons from whatever danger was lurking outside it.

The commons grew quiet from anticipation and dread. Hermione's quick thinking did little to soothe the growing sense of worry in Gryffindors. Instead of going up to their separate, private rooms, people were staying in the common room for the night, huddling together in scared masses of blankets. Ron and Hermione were sitting together by the fire, hand in hand to Harry's distinct annoyance. It wasn't that he blamed them for their relationship, it was that he couldn't openly do the same with Ginny. It hadn't been made public yet that the two were seeing each other, and if Ron found out, his reaction would be worse than "Bloody Hell."  
Harry decided to mount the broom of discomfort by speaking to them tonight. Under the chaos of what he assumed to be a death eater attack, he had a theory he needed to share with them. He stumbled over the resting masses and made his way to the fire. He had been studying in a cold corner by himself, something he was more than willing to leave.   
"Hermione, Ron, can I have a word with you two?"  
Hermione gave a firm "Sure." and glared at Ron who had his mouth open about to object.  
"F-fine."  
"Let's go up to the boys dormitory, since Hermione can go up there, this needs to be private."  
As soon as the door was closed, and privacy was insured by a locking charm, Harry spoke.  
"Can we forget our differences for a while, this is really important."  
Ron just raised an eyebrow.  
"Err, ok, so the few days before I arrived at Hogwarts, I was at a number of places. Number 12 Grimmauld Place, then the Dursley's, then Mrs. Figgs, then Diagon Alley." He sighed, Hermione gasped.  
"You didn't go looking for that locket did you?"  
"I did." Another gasp.  
He told the tale of his narrow escape from Lucius and Bellatrix.  
"So you see, that's why I know the break-in is deatheaters. They have deduced that I was the one who stole the locket, and they have come to retrieve it."  
Ron spoke up for the first time.  
"Harry, you better hide or something. Mum always said to hide if you can't run. This is serious. They could break through the portrait any minute and come for you. Get under the invisibility cloak...what's that?"  
Screams were echoing from the commons below them. This time Ron's utterance had nothing to do with being upset with Harry and Ginny, something that now seemed trivial.  
"Bloody hell, I hear footsteps. Quick, HIDE. Harry, screw this fighting, I never meant any of it."  
Hermione would have cried out of relieve if she hadn't been shoving a bed against the back of the door. Harry dissappeared, as the footsteps grew louder and louder.

Dumbledore knew what was happening in the castle from a letter from Severus. The plan was not going as anticipated though. Avery, Dolohov, Jugson, Karkaroff Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, Malfoy, Mulciber, Nott, Rookwood had all entered the castle through none other than Durmstrang's ship. According to a certain highly useful spy, Karkaroff had redeemed himself by giving the Dark Lord the option of entering Hogwarts. Malfoy's cabinet option had been destroyed by Mcgonagall over the summer. For some unknown reason to Dumbledore, Harry Potter was being targeted at this specific time but the mission was not to kill the boy.  
Snape had written ambiguously of his intentions to intervene with the attack, but from the fact that no owls from Minerva had returned, it seemed as though Snape had lured her away from the castle with a fake letter from the Ministry as the Deatheaters had schemed.  
Dumbledore fondled with his beard, knowing that Snape was to be trusted in this matter, and that the Deatheaters would not even get near Potter.

Hundreds of feet above the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter was less confident. The door had been broken into and a single man in a dark cloak had slipped under the four poster bed that Hermione's adrenalin had so gracefully moved. Harry was crouched in the window ledge, with the locket clutched in his palm, invisibly letting beams of Halloween moonlight shine through him. It was past midnight. Ron and Hermione were behind the hangings of Neville's bed. The room was filled with quiet danger. The figure stood up.  
"Potter, if you want to live, reveal yourself. We know you are in here, but I can save you if you hurry. If you don't, all will be lost. Make a decision." The voice of the Half-Blood Prince filled the 7th year's dormitory.  
Harry stayed frozen. In front of him stood the man who had killed his role model, and now Snape expected he, Harry to fall for the same surrendering end? Knowing he didn't have the ability to use Avada Kedavra, Harry was at a loss as to how he would take Snape out.  
"You are being foolish as usual Potter. The night is not as it appears. You must trust me this time."  
Trust him? The way Dumbledore so pitifully did to his doom? Harry would never give in to this pathetic attempt to disallusion him. If things were not as they appeared, then how could this equate to trust? Anger and hatred boiled up inside Harry, and his scar burned.  
"I am not here to take the locket as you think, nor to kill you. I am here to save you, as I have been for past seven years at Hogwarts. We have little time Potter, before they come."  
Harry wondered why Snape wouldn't fight the Deatheaters if he was really on this true side he claimed to be on. He killed Dumbledore. Harry would rather die to Voldemort than to Snape.

But then Harry remembered that little glass orb and the contents that Dumbledore had revealed to him. _...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives._ Snape couldn't possibly kill Harry. He suddenly had the confidence and bold spontaneity to reveal himself.  
"I am here."  
"Good Potter. Now allow me to get under that cloak of yours while we make our way down to the dungeons. You will stay under it of course. Be wary not to tread on the group huddled downstairs. Now, let us leave."  
When they reached the portrait hole, Harry wondered how they would get out but his inquiry was suddenly answered. Hooded death eaters stormed through the entrance barely avoiding Snape and Harry.  
They exited just as the final figure entered. Snape led him down into the dungeons and surprisingly, walked right through a wall Harry had always thought was solid. Inside was a narrow tunnel that led to a small room with a table, a sink, a latrine, and a cot. It appeared that someone had been living here for some time based on the food, clothes, and books scattered about.  
Snape draped the cloak off their shoulders.  
"You will stay here Potter, until some time has passed, I must go ward them off. Do not leave."  
"Errr, " But Snape had already left the room.  
All Harry could think about during his absense was Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the others in danger. Had Hogwarts become such an easy target to penetrate? And how did Snape manage to get past the inperterbable charms? However he had managed it, Harry still didn't completely trust the slippery man. Perhaps he would escape, and go out into the forest. Or better yet, go back up and fight the deatheaters. He stood up from the wicker chair he was sitting in and pulled on the invisibility cloak.  
On his way out, a golden feather appeared in midair, and a scroll. It seemed to Harry uncannily like that of Dumbledore's phoenix, and the warning Fawkes had given when Umbridge was supposedly coming. Yet, that couldn't be possible. Harry reached for the scroll and unrolled it.

_Dear Severus,  
Inform me when things are again secure.  
-Albus_

What in Merlin's name? Harry screwed up his eyebrows in confusion. Just then, he heard footsteps coming down the tunnel. He quickly dropped the scroll, thinking it was Snape, but someone much different greeted him.

Dobby the House Elf met Harry's eyes and bowed low to the dirt floor beneath his stubby toes.  
"Harry Potter, sir, what an honor it is to see you alive. The castle is in great danger and Harry Potter must not leave this place. We are in the haven of Professor Snape, sir."  
His eyes grew very wide just as they usually did before he was about to utter some forbidden secret.  
"The one HE fears, arggg" Dobby started biting his fingers dramatically, punishing himself for some unknown reason.  
"Dumbledore?" Harry asked.  
"Dobby - has - said - too - much" He yelped between words.  
"Look Dobby, you are free. You can say whatever you want to say. You don't have a master anymore."  
"Dobby does have a master, sir. Professor...Dobby cannot say. But Dobby must argue for Harry Potter's safety sir." Dobby stopped talking. He was looking at the feather on the table that Harry had just dropped. Quicky, the elf picked up the letter and feather and dissapeared with only a look of intense warning upon his screwed up face to let Harry know he was leaving.  
"Wait, don't take that!" But Dobby had already gone.  
Harry had wanted to take a closer look at the letter to try and decode who had really sent it and what it meant. About the only good thing Dobby had told Harry was that Snape was still at the castle, a surprising, infuriating, and perplexing fact. So this was his home. Harry looked around at the loose articles of clothing on the floor. Snape must have been in a hurry to go up and find Harry. He returned to his seat with a slight headache and waited for Snape to return. While hanging around, as it was late at night, Harry drifted and drooled into a fitfull rest, his head nodded onto his shoulder against the wall.  
A deep, dark room faded into view with the sound of a metronome pulsating back and forth.  
"Hand it to me." Said an urgent high pitched voice.  
"Y-yes master." Lucius Malfoy sounded uncharacteristically intimidated.  
"Liar, you have failed me again. Why present yourself when you have nothing to offer? Why even leave the castle when access to it is so difficult? Why do come here to insult me with your bated breath and filthy excuses?"  
"Hear me out. It is the one I have spoken of before, master. We are being deceived."  
"Do not taught me with cryptic messages when you have nothing to offer Lucius."  
"Let me make myself clear master. Severus is not to be trusted. The boy, nor the locket was to be found."  
"CRUCIO!" A wand lowered and a cackle filled the room, contrasting the steady beat of the musical timer.  
"Do you hear that, do you feel that, Lucius? For that is the last sound you will ever hear unless you tell me something useful."  
"Master, I have tried. Forgive me!"  
"You have also failed." A flash of green light met Lord Voldemort's faithful words just as Harry came to consciousness. He felt enlightened in a terrible way. Why did he have access to such a nightmare, for he knew, even as Snape walked in the room, that everything about it was real.


End file.
